N.H. rallies to extend Shrine reign over Vermont

Vermont running back Anthony Phillip, left, hauls in a touchdown catch during the third quarter of the Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl at Castleton University on Saturday.(Photo: MICHAEL BENIASH/CALEDONIAN-RECORD)

CASTLETON – As Vermont stifled New Hampshire's running game, it worked to gain a third-quarter lead courtesy of a long fourth-down touchdown pass.

The makings of a Vermont win at the 62nd annual Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl began to take shape. The ink of a rubber-stamped New Hampshire triumph, the case since 2000, had been wiped clear.

It was anybody's game.

Until New Hampshire pulled out some trickery from its playbook.

Executing to perfection a hook-and-ladder that covered 40 yards, New Hampshire regained the lead — and the game's momentum — before pulling away for a 27-12 victory in front of 4,150 at Castleton University's Spartan Stadium on Saturday.

"They called the right play at the right time," Vermont coach Dennis Smith said.

"It was a great game and we were there and we had plays to make, we just made some mistakes in bad situations and they capitalized on them," the Middlebury coach said.

Vermont’s Charlie Meli brings down a New Hampshire ballcarrier during the Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl at Castleton University on Saturday.(Photo: MICHAEL BENIASH/CALEDONIAN-RECORD)

Behind Kyle Gaudet's gaudy numbers, New Hampshire won for the 15th straight summer to push its all-time series edge over Vermont to 47-13-2.

Gaudet finished with five catches for 190 yards and a trio of touchdowns, but it was his pitch to Dennis Bishop on the fourth-down trick play that put New Hampshire in front to stay, 15-12, on the first play of the fourth quarter.

"It's an assist, just like basketball. It's just as good as a touchdown," Gaudet said. "I think we ran it once, maybe twice in practice all week. We did it again because we hit a brick wall … and it worked."

Gaudet also hauled in a 90-yard TD reception from Connor DiCesare — the longest passing play in Shrine history — to open the scoring in the second quarter, and made a juggling end-zone catch and high-tailed it 57 yards on a slant for the final points of the evening.

Finishing minus-3 in total net rushing yards, New Hampshire, in a no-huddle spread offense, gained 325 through the air.

"They stopped the inside run the most, so we had to look to our passing game," Gaudet said. "We figured when the run game was stopped, we'd just pass the ball."

Staying patient in its triple-option offense, Vermont's attack sprang to life late in the second quarter. Fullback Luke Langelier (11 carries, 53 yards) sparked Vermont's first touchdown drive with five straight runs, three of which went for at least 9 yards and resulted in first downs. Austin Robinson capped it with a TD plunge from 1 yard out with 38 seconds to play in the half.

Vermont running back Luke Langelier, right, rumbles down the field with the ball during first half Saturday.(Photo: MICHAEL BENIASH/CALEDONIAN-RECORD)

"We started getting the option going and taking what they were giving us and the fullback was what they were giving us in those situations," Smith said.

Vermont's third possession of the second half yielded a go-ahead score, set up by Adam Sherwin's fumble recovery at the New Hampshire 37-yard line.

After New Hampshire declined a Vermont holding call, Robinson aired a fourth-down pass into the end zone, which Rice speedster Anthony Phillip hauled in for a 34-yard score with 3:06 left in the third quarter.

Vermont pressed defensively on New Hampshire's next possession — Rice's Chris Jansen (five tackles, 1/2 sack) swatted down a pass attempt; Middlebury's Justin Stone, from the blindside, recorded a sack — in the final plays of the third quarter.

With the quick break, though, New Hampshire called for its hook-and-ladder play, surprising Vermont.

"We didn't see that coming mostly. There was not much we could do, it was unexpected," said Mount Anthony's Tyler Mattison, who led Vermont with a dozen tackles.

Said Phillip: "It was a little deflating because it was on fourth down and long. But that's football for you, anything can happen."

On the ensuing kickoff, New Hampshire kicked it out of bounds but Smith declined the penalty and asked for a retry. The second kickoff was bungled — on a reverse play the Middlebury team routinely uses — and Vermont was backed up at its own 4.

"Then we got buried," Smith said. "It's just something we've also done, we really believe in that kickoff return."

Vermont couldn't sustain another drive and New Hampshire tacked on two more scores from Gaudet, each via quarterback Brendan Johnson (13 of 23 for 223 yards).

John Bielicki of Hartford led Vermont with 74 yards on 14 carries, with a team-long of 20 yards. Stone averaged 40.1 yards on seven punts.

Although Vermont lost, a limited New Hampshire talent pool made it a more even playing field.

"Overall, Vermont competed this year," Smith said. "If nothing else, that's what this whole game means — the competition between the two teams keeps bringing people back to the game."

And it could give hope, at least on the Vermont side, that the losing skid could finally end in a future game.

"I think this is really good. It shows we are not going to give up, we are going to keep on fighting until we beat them," Phillip said.

Contact Alex Abrami at 660-1848 or aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/aabrami5